News feed

10:36 PM

Opinion

Opinion: Opinion: Anti-money laundering watchdog FATF needs to blacklist Russia

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) meets tomorrow, Oct. 22, and is expected to once again debate Russia’s blacklisting. That Russia, a clear state sponsor of terrorism, hasn’t been ousted from an intergovernmental body that sets global standards to combat terrorist financing, money laundering, and related financial crimes,

10:18 PM

NATO

Is NATO ready for war with Russia?

The launch of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 confronted the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) with a new geopolitical reality. Described as "braindead" by French President Emmanuel Macron only a few years prior, the alliance woke up to a threat previously thought consigned to the past: a

10:00 PM

US has provided Ukraine with over $64 billion in military aid since start of full-scale invasion, Umerov says.

"Your unwavering support is not just a gesture of friendship. It's a powerful symbol of the shared values that bind our nations together," Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said alongside U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

9:26 PM

North Korea

‘Russia has problems’ – We asked 5 Ukrainian soldiers about North Korean troops fighting for Moscow

Russia's war in Ukraine is on the verge of escalating dramatically, with multiple reports, intelligence assessments, and a video suggesting North Korean troops could soon be fighting alongside Kremlin forces. While Pyongyang has long supplied Moscow with weaponry, the deployment of boots on the ground would mark a significant development

9:17 PM

Russian strikes against Pokrovsk district in Donetsk Oblast kill 3, injure 2.

Russia attacked the towns of Kurakhove and Myrnohrad in the Pokrovsk district of Donetsk Oblast on Oct. 21, killing three and injuring two people, local authorities reported.

8:26 PM

Opinion

Opinion: Moldova's EU integration referendum hangs in the balance, highlighting the dangers of oversimplification

Moldovans headed to the polls on Oct. 20 to elect their next head of state and vote on the future of the country’s European Union integration. With over 99% of the votes counted on Monday, the “yes” vote edged ahead at 50.43%, while the “no” camp, which had

Ukraine war latest: US announces new defense aid package for Ukraine worth $400 million

8:01 PM

War update

Ukraine war latest: US announces new defense aid package for Ukraine worth $400 million

Key developments on Oct. 21: * US announces $400 million defense aid package for Ukraine * Russia detains 18 North Korean soldiers who left positions in Kursk Oblast, source says * Kremlin calls North Korean troops reports 'contradictory' but stops short of denial * Russia attacking toward town near Pokrovsk, National Guard says * Ukraine

Russian attack against Zaporizhzhia kills 3, injures 16

7:54 PM

(Updated: October 21, 2024 7:55 pm)

Russian attack against Zaporizhzhia kills 3, injures 16.

Some 30 buildings were damaged after Russia struck the residential area of the city on the morning of Oct. 21.

7:04 PM

Alexei Navalny's widow Yulia says she will run for president if she can return to Russia.

"I will participate in the elections… as a candidate" when the time is right, Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny told the BBC in an interview published on Oct. 21.

US announces $400 million defense aid package for Ukraine

3:11 PM

(Updated: October 21, 2024 7:02 pm)

US announces $400 million defense aid package for Ukraine.

Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said it would include ammunition, military equipment, and weapons.

5:52 PM

'Unprecedented interference' by Russia, its proxies in Moldova referendum, EU says.

Moldova's referendum on joining the EU, which took place alongside elections in the country, occurred under "unprecedented interference" by Russia and its proxies, European Commission spokesperson Peter Stano said.

3:40 PM

Sending North Korean troops to fight Russia's war would mean 'significant escalation,' Rutte says.

"North Korea sending troops to fight alongside Russia in Ukraine would mark a significant escalation," NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on social media following a conversation with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.

3:02 PM

Ex-military logistics chief named new head of Ukroboronprom state defense company.

General Major Oleh Huliak replaced Herman Smetanin, who became the head of the Strategic Industries Ministry as part of the biggest wartime government reshuffle in September.

Update: Russian attacks against Ukraine kill 5, injure 38 over past day

10:35 AM

(Updated: October 21, 2024 2:19 pm)

Update: Russian attacks against Ukraine kill 5, injure 38 over past day.

Ukrainian air defenses shot down 59 of the 116 Shahed-type attack drones launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force said. Forty-five drones were reportedly "lost" on Ukrainian territory, and 10 more are still present in the Ukrainain airspace at the time of the publication.

1:57 PM

Ukraine destroys Russian Buk air defense system, military says.

Ukrainian forces destroyed a Russian Buk-M3 air defense system overnight on Oct. 21, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported.

1:41 PM

Ukraine's 46th brigade releases video of repelled Russian attack near Kurakhove.

The attack reportedly involved seven tanks and 11 infantry fighting vehicles, with Ukrainian forces destroying seven pieces of Russian equipment.

1:34 PM

Kremlin calls North Korean troops reports 'contradictory' but stops short of denial.

"We see a lot of contradictory information," spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told the Russian media, the state-controlled news agency Interfax reported.

North Korean troops, Jared Leto, Victory Plan | Ukraine This Week

1:27 PM

Video

North Korean troops, Jared Leto, Victory Plan | Ukraine This Week.

The Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur explains the top stories of the week, from the North Korean soldiers fighting for Russia to update on Volodymyr Zelensky’s Victory Plan.

12:34 PM

Russia attacking toward town near Pokrovsk, National Guard says.

According to the National Guard, Russian troops periodically conduct mechanized assaults near Selydove, involving from three to five armored vehicles.

12:14 PM

Seoul summons Russian envoy, calls for 'immediate withdrawal of North Korean troops.'

South Korea on Oct. 21 summoned the Russian ambassador in Seoul, Georgy Zinoviev, to protest the dispatch of North Korean troops to assist Moscow's war against Ukraine, the Yonhap news agency reported.

11:53 AM

UN's nuclear agency funded Russian research in occupied Crimea, RFE/RL reports.

According to the agency's internal documents, the IAEA signed at least two agreements with Russian research institutes to conduct research that included fieldwork in Crimea. The deals were signed between 2016 and 2019, and the first was reportedly extended in the summer of 2019.

The Counteroffensive: An inside look at the virtual reality therapy reshaping veterans' rehabilitation

11:23 AM

Opinion

The Counteroffensive: An inside look at the virtual reality therapy reshaping veterans' rehabilitation

Editor’s Note: This article was published by the twice-weekly newsletter “The Counteroffensive with Tim Mak” on Oct. 17, 2024, and has been re-published by the Kyiv Independent with permission. To subscribe to The Counteroffensive, click here. Last year, Mykola Horishnyi was declared clinically dead – twice. The Ukrainian soldier suffered

11:17 AM

Russia detains 18 North Korean soldiers who left positions in Kursk Oblast, source says.

Russian authorities detained 18 North Korean soldiers who abandoned their positions in Russia's Kursk Oblast, a military intelligence source told the Kyiv Independent on Oct. 21.

10:22 AM

Russia's Black Sea Fleet forced to redeploy over Ukrainian drone attacks, Russian proxy admits.

"It (Black Sea Fleet) was forced to change, in fact, its registration because our large ships became large targets for the enemy's unmanned boats," Dmitry Rogozin, a Russian official heading the Russian occupation of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, said.

9:17 AM

Russian high-ranking pilot found dead in Bryansk Oblast, military intelligence says.

According to Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR), Russian pilot Dmitry Golenkov suffered multiple head injuries, probably caused by a hammer.

8:54 AM

US Defense Secretary Austin arrives in Kyiv in surprise visit.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin arrived in Kyiv on Oct. 21 as Ukraine hopes to secure continued support ahead of the uncertain U.S. election, CNN reported.

Updated: Russian attack in Kharkiv injures 13

12:32 AM

(Updated: October 21, 2024 8:24 am)

Updated: Russian attack in Kharkiv injures 13.

The wounded include seven women aged 22 to 83 and five men aged 21 to 38, according to regional authorities. Some areas of the city lost electricity due to the attack.

8:11 AM

General Staff: Russia has lost 680,230 troops since Feb. 24, 2022.

This number includes 1,710 casualties Russian forces suffered over the past day.

5:22 AM

Navalny's prison diaries to be published posthumously this week.

The memoir, "Patriot," is compiled from the Russian opposition leader's prison diaries and was edited in part by his widow, Yulia Navalnaya. The book will be released in 22 languages, including Russian.

3:42 AM

Ukraine's new 'Sting' drone designed to hunt Shaheds, Telegraph reports.

According to the drone's developers, the Wild Hornets group, "Sting" will be able to fly at altitudes approaching 10,000 feet, with a speed of over 100 miles per hour. It is the first drone specifically developed to target Russia's arsenal of Shaheds.

11:23 PM

Russia has launched over 6,100 attack drones at Ukraine since start of 2024, Zelensky says.

Russia has launched a total of 6,130 Shahed-type drones since the start of 2024, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address on Oct. 20.

Ukraine war latest: Ukraine says it struck airfield and 'largest explosives factory' in Russia

9:51 PM

War update

Ukraine war latest: Ukraine says it struck airfield and 'largest explosives factory' in Russia

Key developments on Oct. 19-20: * Ukraine says it struck airfield and 'largest explosives factory' in Russia * Russian overnight missile strike on Kryvyi Rih injures 17 * Tens of thousands of Georgians rally in support of EU accession ahead of upcoming parliamentary election * Ukraine’s NATO membership on 'irreversible path,' G7

News Feed

7:46 PM

(Updated: June 7, 2025 8:42 pm)

Russia bombs Kharkiv day after deadly overnight attack, killing 1, injuring 19.

One of the bombs hit the Children's Railway, killing a 30-year-old woman who worked for Ukrainian Railways. President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned Russia's relentless assaults against the city of Kharkiv.

6:48 PM

Ukrainian drone strikes Russian Tu-22 bomber: SBU releases new footage of Operation Spiderweb.

The video shows the flight path of an FPV drone from the moment it takes off from the roof of a modular building to the moment before it strikes a Russian Tu-22M3 strategic bomber at the Belaya air base in Siberia.

6:39 PM

France to produce drones in Ukraine, minister says.

"We are going to embark on a completely unprecedented partnership where a large French car company – I won't name it because it's up to them to announce it – will join forces with a French defense SME (small to medium-sized enterprise) to equip production lines in Ukraine to be able to produce drones," French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu said.

6:17 PM

Ukraine refutes Russia’s claims of disrupting POW exchange.

"If the Russian side is now backing away from what was promised in Istanbul, it raises serious questions about the reliability and capability of their negotiating team," Ukraine's Defense Ministry said on June 7.

6:14 PM

Culture

Wondering where to start with Dostoevsky? Try his Ukrainian contemporaries instead

5:31 PM

Canada pledges $25.5 million in military aid for Ukraine, including armored vehicles.

The country pledged to provide Ukraine with almost $22 million worth of Coyote and Bison armored vehicles, as well as new equipment and ammunition supplied by Canadian companies.

4:34 PM

Six people likely trapped under rubble in Kharkiv after Russian attack.

Russian forces attacked Kharkiv with drones, missiles, and KAB guided bombs overnight on June 7, killing at least three people and injuring 22, according to Governor Oleh Syniehubov.

3:13 PM

'Putin is a murderer' — Zelensky rejects Trump's claim that Russia, Ukraine are like 'kids'.

"We are not kids with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin at the playground in the park," Zelensky said, as quoted by the TV network. "He is a murderer who came to this park to kill the kids."

1:59 PM

Ukraine used only domestic drones in Operation Spiderweb, Zelensky says.

"I wanted very much to use only what we produce and to have the separation (be) very clear," Zelensky said, as quoted by the TV network.

12:13 PM

Ukraine downs fighter jet in Russia's Kursk Oblast, Air Force says.

Ukraine launched a cross-border incursion into Kursk Oblast in August 2024. Reinforced by North Korean troops, Russia launched a push to recapture the region in early March, with Ukraine being forced to pull back from much of the initially taken territory.

12:05 PM

Russia hits Ukraine with 206 drones, 9 missiles overnight, Air Force says.

Ukraine also downed 87 Russian combat drones, while 80 drones were neutralized by electronic warfare systems or disappeared from radars, the Air Force said.

10:48 AM

Baltic states issue statement backing Ukraine’s EU, NATO membership.

They argued that Ukraine's NATO accession would “consolidate a just and lasting peace not only in Ukraine but also in all of Europe" and help uphold the rules-based international order globally.

10:16 AM

General Staff: Russia has lost 995,030 troops in Ukraine since Feb 24, 2022.

The number includes 1,120 casualties that Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

7:52 AM

Ukrainian woman, 6-year-old daughter found murdered in Belgium.

A 46-year-old Ukrainian woman and her 6-year-old daughter were found murdered on June 6 in the city of Leuven, Belgium, authorities reported.

6:08 AM

(Updated: June 7, 2025 7:18 am)

Russian attack on Kharkiv kills 3, injures 19, including 2 children.

Russian forces attacked Kharkiv with drones, missiles, and KAB guided bombs overnight on June 7, killing at least three people and injuring 19, officials said.

1:58 AM

(Updated: June 7, 2025 6:36 am)

UPDATE: Russia hits Ukraine with large-scale attack days after Operation Spiderweb.

The attack killed three first responders in Kyiv and injured civilians across the country, including cities far from the front lines in western Ukraine.

5:19 AM

Wagner Group announces withdrawal from Mali.

The Wagner mercenary group announced on June 6 that it was withdrawing its presence from Mali, ending its fight with rebel groups.

3:41 AM

Operation Spiderweb 'gave Putin a reason to bomb the hell out of them,' Trump says, following large-scale attacks on Ukrainian cities.

U.S. President Donald Trump on June 6 appeared to justify Russia's large-scale attack on Ukrainian cities launched the night before, in response to Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb.

1:47 AM

Ukraine hopes for Trump-Zelensky meeting in Canada during G7.

President Volodymyr Zelensky plans to meet U.S. President Trump during the G7 summit in Alberta on June 15–17, Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak said.

11:11 PM

Trump reluctant to confront China over support for Russia's war against Ukraine, Bloomberg reports.

Despite Trump’s current stance, the European Union has maintained public pressure on China, both through diplomatic channels and public statements.

9:40 PM

War update

Ukraine war latest: Russia hits Ukraine with large-scale attack days after Operation Spiderweb; Ukraine strikes Russian air bases in 'preemptive strike'

8:59 PM

Trump quietly pressuring Senate to weaken Russia sanctions, WSJ reports.

The White House reportedly asked Sen. Graham to insert waivers into the bill allowing Trump to choose which entities get sanctioned and changing the word "shall" to "may."

8:42 PM

Video

Egyptian POW didn't need money, but went to fight for Russia.

Egyptian-born Russian fighter, callsign "Cobra," signed a contract with the Russian army in 2024, abandoning his young wife, university studies and comfortable lifestyle. Now in Ukrainian prison, he's rethinking his choices. Subscribe to our channel for more independent reporting from Ukraine.

8:15 PM

Russia's National Guard kills man attempting drone attack on military site, agency claims.

The suspect was allegedly preparing to launch a drone packed with grenades at a military facility in Russia's Ryazan Oblast. The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claim.

8:03 PM

Field report

‘Find and destroy’ – how Ukraine’s own Peaky Blinders mastered the art of bomber drones

MORE NEWS

News feed

News Feed

Most popular

Editors' Picks

Subscribe